#charmingly-unwell

[stxrmnight]

6.5 Shift into Brilliance

This is pretty much how Shadowbringers went, right? And that turned out so well!

OHHHH GIRLFRIEND IN THE CRYSTAL. How does she feel about being in it when she traps other voidsent in crystals...

I imagine this is supposed to be a jest, right? I can't take it seriously otherwise. This sounded off from Y'sthola, and without tone or any facial animation it comes off as stilted

So how is Beq Lugg going to fell after we did this Taynor?

REALLY NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS. I'M SO SORRY FELLA THIS GIRL IS TOO UNPHASED BY HAVING TURNED INTO A LIGHTWARDEN HERSELF. We're frankesteining da world back or dying

Surprising Ryne was so good!! And specially seeing her make work for the Empty. Hearing her again was specially a great surprise. Sad thing we only seem to check in when something is going wrong

I feel like Nemi would have gotten really embarrassed. "I understand why everyone holds me in high esteem, but it was nothing really! Anyone would have risked what I did if they had my chances, you know? Not everyone had the blessing of light or, my other half to support them when things are too much."

"Well, I will have you if things turn unwell, won't I?"

Nemi would combust and need a glass of water

I'm so sorry Dulia :(

Much as this patch is good in general, this tower asking felt like a double beat? Doing it in Garlemald made sense, and people here are more sensible and prone to agree with the Warrior. It could have been shorter or just a PSA from the major.

I would have rather gotten to hear what Zero heard of us, and hear more of the First's experiences that parallel the Thirteenth

"It must seem weird, right?"

"Not at all. It makes sense with how cute you are"

"Y-youre too honest sometimes!"

Your father is doing fine don't worry bestie. And ahhh lesbian wanderers... glad to hear of Gaia. I wonder if someone has recognized her?

I WISH I WAS YOUUUUUUU

Again, I wish this asking about a scary power use wasn't a double beat, because with the Night's Blessed it makes a lot of sense with the cultural relevance!! This part is fine but, yeah

I wish I saved more of their conversation, cause I recall it being quite good. Runar understanding Zero's pain in the inverse of their faith, Zero appreciating the strength in customs long lost as a thing in the Void...

It is sweet and interesting that Y'sthola is set to keep her bond with the Nights' Blessed despite her claims to be an ever hungry scholar. Wouldn't you need to have no roots to seek knowledge everywhere? I feel exploring why she feels so at home with the Night's Blessed is something that could be done for her but, we haven't gotten much introspection for her at all

And pulling the carrot umbrella for this funny line about Zero killed me

Braving the dark is kind of my thing bestie

Also, Zero trying to harness the light herself by trying "me pure darkness = more resistance" really made me laugh. You're so charmingly rash to act

I really hope so, I really hope we find her in the blue anus

What's, what's with this name

Joke aside, GOD THIS DUNGEON REMINDED ME EXACTLY WHAT MADE SHADOWBRINGER SO STELLAR!! The ingame echo but for everyone? The urgency of the city? The seemingly simple mechanics killing me short to running out of time whicch is why I have no pictures, Golbez' human form having the best m hairstyle in the game, the desperation and fall of humans under chaos folstered by forces way beyond their understanding? and THOSE DARKNESS WINGS??????? I want to know more about memoria so baaaaaaaaad

The fact that Golbez was tricked into truly believing he was saving his world from an ongoing larger tragedy, and that it's a Watcher who keeps Balance of Shards in check... man is the Watcher himself sundered then? Much as Nemi still resents him for what he's done to Azdaja, but his desperation reflects how much the Ascians' cruelty tied everyone's hands. Of course he's acting differently now that he knows another way exists, one that wouldn't exist if not for the longer struggled of the Source up to the rewritten Eight Umbral Calamity...

I have no screencaps for the sequence, but I will say I loved everything except, not getting to quite hear Zero's friendship-no-jutsu with Golbez directly. It's just funny Nemi struggled like that while the gang was having a deep anime moment and the resolution was very satisfying, specially with Vrtra sacrificing literal half of his great power as a dragon to heal his traumatized sister, returning the care she gave him as a dragonet

YOU ARE SO SMALLL BUT ALSO TOO SMALL FOR WOLDRAGON YURI POTENTIAL. AGHHH

Also, the scene were everyone gave wol a ton of praises was uncharacteristic I'm so sorry,. Who wrote that lol

; m ; I don't know if that's really what she thought, but at least Venat did want the world to be healed by humanity's will so, he's right

Buddy they met ONCE what's with that first line lol. And I don't like crediting all of a woman's character development to one undercooked guy!!!

oop, limit for post

[oceanoecielo]

Cecco could not help feeling a bit bad for the women in the kingdom, at least the noble ones, who had so much more to do to make themselves presentable, so many extra pins and plaits and ruffles and everything else.  He expected it to take Ava longer to undo herself than it would for him, so he went about his business rather leisurely.

He undid his coat and recovered a dingy, off-white tunic from the rear of his wardrobe, a dusty, threadbare relic from his old life that he kept specifically for these kinds of excursions.  Abandoning his other bits and baubles, golden and turquoise rings and shining eyeglasses, in a small box on his table and ruffling his silver curls in the mirror until it appeared that he had not combed them out, he find that he looked charmingly mundane.

Then, he went through the corridors at the same lackadaisical pace, seeming not to care who saw him.  If anyone wanted to question his odd dress, he intended to tell him that he felt unwell, a lie that so often excused even the strangest behaviors, as it evoked more sympathy than scrutiny.  People also wanted to separate themselves from sickness as quickly as possible, and he planned to use that to disengage.

It was a rather uneventful trip up the stairs, though.  He brushed shoulders with a person or three, and they gave him suspicious looks, but he didn’t let himself stay long enough to converse and was quickly gone again.

Because of his relatively languid pace and Ava’s own hasty one, he was not leaning against the large windowsill for long when she came scampering down the hall, looking markedly disheveled with the effort already.  “We meet again,” he greeted her with a little smile.

He opened the window and stepped out onto the roof’s slight slope.  Then, he turned back to Ava and offered her a hand, knowing she would probably need help with the descent.  Even her simpler dress was not ideal for a climb.  “Come along.  It’s a ways down, but I won’t drop you.”

Their ideas of adventure - Ava's and the Queen's - were very different. That much is something that Ava has always known, preferring time to herself over grand displays of power. Not that she has any say whether she is forced to attend, but there are things that she would prefer to do if she had the choice.

At least with Cecco, this was a more excused visit than anything else she had tried thus far. The way he reminds her of what to do, what to bring and what to avoid, it almost earns a laugh from her. She knows, she has eyes, and would like to think that she is a little more aware of what is going on in the kingdom than people may think she is.

"I'll be there shortly," She knows the corridor he's speaking of immediately, having found herself at opposing ends of the hallway on a startlingly regular basis. She hasn't bothered to try and get out any of those windows before, the height being something she doesn't want to challenge on her own.

Her departure from him is more of a scurry than anything, and she has to wait until she's in her chamber to begin tugging the pins from her hair, sweeping around the room in a flurry of activity not normally seen. So much so that she has to make herself sit down and undo the braids by hand, if only so it doesn't seem like she's been waiting for someone to say yes for a long time.

When she feels an appropriate amount of time has passed in between her departure and when she should be done, it's up to the fourth floor with her. The few items she wanted to bring are tucked safely into a drawstring cloth pouch slung around her waist, and Ava's fussing with the knot keeping on of her sleeves in place as she slows down to look up to see if Cecco has arrived as well.

[eolewyn1010]

LGBTQIA+ characters and representation in season 2 of Charité

I'm gonna talk about what's in the title, but first things first: Warnings.

Spoilers for all three seasons of "Charité". Duh.

This is all personal opinion and should not be taken for objective truth.

I'll do this by quality, not chronology, by which I mean I'll talk about season 1, season 3, then season 2, in that order.

Season 2, you know what that means: Nazis. Mentions of euthanasia, genocide, extreme homophobia, all that shit.

I'm gonna get babbly; buckle up. We'll be here for a while. I wanted to do this in one go, but that got way long, so I'm splitting it by seasons.

Let me start this off by admitting that I'm blatantly biased on this front because I'm helplessly in love with Charité's second season and its characters and, yes, the lovestory between Otto and Martin. But there are actually reasons for this - namely, season 2 avoids a lot of what makes me feel unwell about the LGBTQIA+ characters in season 1 and 3.

First and foremost, Martin and Otto both are fully-fleshed out characters who have their own agencies - and that is despite their lovestory being definitely their main arc during the season. Yes, we do see them spending time together, learning to trust each other, confessing their feelings, dealing with the daily threat of getting caught and brought to a concentration camp. But also, either of them is established in their own life experiences, their own social environments. Hell, Martin is only a side character, but we get a pretty good grip on him real soon. That he has a warm and trust-based relationship with both his bosses, that he feels he has a value, prosthetic leg be damned, that the war experience has left him choke-full of wry snark because he's too smart to be loud about his political opposition. Also interesting: He was an actual soldier, and then became a nurse, in opposition to Otto who was only ever a medic. I think you could make a pretty good point of him drawing a lot of personal consequences after his extremely traumatizing experiences.

And Otto - where do I even start? In the first episode, he's not remotely established as the character we are served later. We get this poor little uwu boy who's suffered sooo terribly from the war because you know, Nazis are people too and war is terrible for everyone involved. Otto is someone who smiles charmingly, does his patriotic duty, salutes in the right way, looks snazzy in a uniform - and he's the Aryan dream of every German girl. Tall, strong, beautiful; they didn't cast Prettyboy McCheekbones for nothing there. I get it; I like to look at his stupid grin and his baby blue eyes and everything. I just think he's neat. And so thinks Christel who blatantly stares at him when she sees him for the first time and hasn't spoken a word to him yet (and continues to have very superficial contact with him - she's the one who objectifies Otto, not Martin whom she accuses of that and whose bond with Otto relies very much on time spent together and trust built). They establish all of this - and then re-establish it in a queer context, when it's not Christel but Martin whose eyes linger for a second. And then he looks away quickly because whoops, Christel is allowed to gawk at a pretty man, but Martin isn't. It's such a tiny thing, but it does wonders for the world-building. And seeing how Otto functions in this world gets really interesting when we find out that he's in love with Martin - and with how honest he is about it and how his sister handles the whole thing, there's the implication that Otto (and maybe Anni) has known that he's gay for a while. And with that, this whole perfect German man act is just that, an act. Otto lives between perpetrators and has adapted, but he's also explicitly part of a persecuted group.

Also, within that role, they repeatedly allow him to subvert the expectations society puts on him. First time that shows up is when he tells Christel that, on the front, he's only ever served in the sickbay, and she quips: "Aw, and here we thought we'd get a real war hero." Which is a tease, the way she says it, but the implication is clear: If Otto hasn't hurt or killed anyone in war, he's not what the Nazis call a hero. No, he won't let that soldier take the fall for self-crippling without even trying to help him (it's a very stupid attempt, but his impulsiveness is something I love a lot about Otto, especially because it works out both in his favor and to his detriment at times). No, he doesn't judge someone for being married to a Jewish woman ("Can love be a sin?" - har har, I see what you did thar. Subtlety, thy name is German television). Yes, he'll yell at his sister for her passive compliance instead of minding his own business as a good Nazi should do. Yes, he'll screw masculine stereotypes and be the caretaker of a small child for half a year. For all the emphasis on the lovestory, a lot of Otto's queerness is established in how he acts and thinks, in how he accepts other people and himself in a way that doesn't value the Nazi standards of what makes a good person or a good German or whatever. His man is a cripple? He's about the strongest person alive, and also beautiful, thank you very much. His niece is mentally disabled? Well, she's the cutest baby on earth, fuck you. That woman whom he doesn't know at all who seems to be entirely out of it, emotionally and psychologically? And that makes her life less valuable why? I don't know how he has internalized this with the way he must have been socialized; maybe it is because he just can't fit the expected standard and always had to lowkey expect to become a name on a list of those who disappear into the unknown. But anyway, I love him for it.

Note also that, different than Therese in season 1, he very much gets to be proactive about his feelings - and gets a response. Not a universally positive response because Martin is scared as fuck, for a good reason, as we know. But he makes clear he reciprocates Otto's feelings, and they try to work around the daily risk of concentration camps, of castration, of degradation. Martin's arrest is only the tiniest fraction of what could have happened to him, and what happened to his first lover, and it's awful enough on its own. They both face that when they get involved, and while Martin goes from "we can never do that again" to "I'll take that risk", Otto goes from sweet-talking Christel and playing into her crush to basically telling her to go fuck herself. Despite what Christel and de Crinis and society have done to them, they actually both wind up at a point where they're not willing to be afraid anymore because they know that this whole fucked-up construct around them is not working in the slightest and will break asunder rather today than tomorrow. And they don't deny it anymore, either - Charité is rather sanitized in that regard; they're working in a hospital, not on the front or near a death camp. But at one point, Otto just plainly says it: "They're gassing people there." And that's something that, during and after the war, very few people are willing to admit, the sort and the sheer extent of the crimes committed by Germans.

So, and after all this gushing, I'll end on a note of critique: The drama. After all they have been through, when the war is already ended for them, when Berlin has fallen... Otto catches a bullet. I'm even pretty sure it's a stray bullet because they can't really have seen him up there, but we need to have one of our protagonists on the brink of death in the last few minutes. They don't go through with it, which, thank you; I wouldn't have forgiven them another Bury Your Gays after the trouble Martin and Otto had to go through to have a freaking happy relationship, but they like twisting the knife, and they couldn't resist repeating that subversion theme for Otto. *sigh* That's Charité for you. But I'm not made of stone and that scene of Martin carrying Otto downstairs kills me every time, so I'm lowkey willing to forgive them for that.

[whereismymindnow]

Somebody Help Me (Hal Yorke/Lord Harry x ofc)

Author's Note: Damien Molony was perfection as Hal. The way he shifted between Hal and Harry was amazing. His mannerisms were so different for both characters. I wish Harry had more screen time but I shall settle for just rewatching those scenes.

---

Her red hair was tangled and unkempt. It had lost its vibrancy and life a long while ago. The once bouncing curls had become knotted and split.

The lack of sunlight had caused her skin to look sallow and paler than usual. The only window within the room was covered by a thick curtain that she could not reach. Whether it was night or day she did not know… the only sense of time in her world was when her breakfast, lunch and dinner were brought.

A heavy sigh left her mouth when the familiar rattle of a chain rang out in the room as she rearranged herself on the bed. The metal cuff around her ankle was a constant reminder of how trapped she was. The length of the chain was only enough so that she could reach the chamber pot that was a few feet away from the four-poster bed. She rarely left the soft mattress that she lay upon. There was no point in trying to move anywhere; her green eyes could only stare at the lit fireplace in the room. The chain wasn’t even long enough to allow her to move over there and feel the heat of the flames or to read that book that was rested upon the arm of the plush chair that he sometimes sat on.

Carina fiddled with the bottom of his undershirt that she was forced to wear and she turned her head to the side, no longer wanting to see the door to her prison that she would never be able to leave through. He didn’t even leave it locked as he knew exactly how caged his little bird was.

She didn’t turn her head as the creak of the door told her that someone had entered. If it was him, then she didn’t wish to see his face. If it was someone to kill her in an act of revenge against her captor, then she couldn’t bring herself to care. The afterlife must be better than this.

The sound of laces being untied and shoes hitting the floor told her that her imprisoner had entered. The bed dipped beside her. “Good evening, Carina.” At least he had the decency to take off his boots before resting upon the bed.

“Good evening, Lord Harry.” Her voice was a low murmur but she knew better than to ignore him. He did not like being ignored.

Her body flinched and her brow creased as he lay down with his head on her chest. Harry had been acting odd recently. He kept showing slivers of remorse for her current situation but within a blink of an eye he was back to his usual heartless ways. It would appear that his good side had come out to play today as he carefully stroked his hand up and down her side. She could hear him exhale and waited for his hand to stop its path down her waist and for his fingers to start gently tapping her hip in rhythm with her heartbeat.

There it was.

This was the usual routine when his other side was trying to fight his way into consciousness.

This version of Harry seemed to be a lot more focused upon carrying out a general routine when he first entered the chamber. She wondered if this was his way of making sure that she was not unwell by listening to how strong her heart was beating. He seemed much more subdued this way. Carina had long since stopped trying to predict who was going to walk through that door but she was silently relieved that the monstrous Lord Harry was seemingly absent. She would take the confusingly sympathetic Hal over the charmingly murderous Harry any day of the week. That was how she differentiated between the two; the monster that had kidnapped her was Harry, and his other personality was Hal. It helped her mind stay concentrated by making them two separate people.

“How are you feeling?”

“Well.” She despised how he would ask her questions. Carina didn’t understand why he even bothered. Her short answers never changed… how could they? It’s not like she ever went anywhere or met anybody. The only people she saw was Hal and the silent chambermaid that would bring her food to eat and empty her chamber pot. The girl never spoke to her, although Carina had noticed that the maid glanced at her for longer than a second now. She supposed that she could consider that an improvement.

Her body froze as he lifted his head to look at the side of her face. Apparently that wasn’t good enough and seconds later his fingers touched under her chin to turn her face to him. She stared at his chest rather than his eyes and allowed him to survey her. “You’ve lost weight again. Your cheekbones are rather prominent now.”

“I do not wish to eat.”

“Why is that?”

“I do not find myself that hungry anymore.”

“Starving yourself will not benefit you. You will take weeks to pass away and it shall be incredibly painful.” His voice was almost emotionless as he said this. If Carina had chanced a look into his eyes then she would have seen the warmth in them, but she refused to see any good in this man. She refused to be comforted by this side of him as he never stayed very long. Lord Harry always returned.

“At least I would be free.” It appeared that these words were the trigger for him. He gagged and choked a little as his darker personality came forward. Black eyes revealed themselves.

“I will not allow that to happen.”

“I was surprised to see your other half walk through the door.” Carina commented softly, deciding that anything other than the subject of her own suicide would be talked about. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about killing herself - she thought of the subject almost every day - but she refused to have her captor speak of it. If there was one thing Carina wished to control, then it was how she was going to die. She couldn’t decide when to eat, what to wear or how to live so she decided that the ending of all of her pain would be her choice. Whether it was through making Harry furious enough to kill her or by starving herself, she didn’t care. She just had to have this. It was the only thing that was hers.

The only issue was that she wasn’t brave enough yet…

…so here she was...

…waiting.

“Sometimes he wakes up before I do. It doesn’t happen often though. It’s my turn for control and he is dormant for the most part.” Control. There was that horrid little word again.

“How long have I been here now?”

“Two hundred and seventeen days.” It had been nearly a year? How was that possible? “Your expression tells me that you are surprised.”

“Whilst time passes slowly when you do not know when the sun has risen and set, I never imagined that I had been captive for that long.”

“Hmm, I could open the curtain for you, if you like?” Carina almost wanted to accept his offer, she was dying to feel something other than the lukewarm atmosphere of this room, but a warning came to the forefront of her mind. What would he want in return? After all, Lord Harry never granted favours freely.

“I am fine without seeing beyond these cold walls.”

“Really? It’s quite marvellous outside today. The leaves are turning brown and the cool air is beginning to make temperatures fall. The glistening dew that covers the outside world is a spectacle to behold.” He could tell that Carina was dying to say yes, the curling of her fingers told him as much.

The girl watched through confused eyes as her master got up from the bed and approached the single window in her room. He opened the heavy curtains just enough for the light to shine on his pale chest. He was bathed in an orange coloured glow which told her that the sun was just about to go down for the night.

“Are you sure you don’t want to see?”

“What would you wish for in return?” Carina was like a fish on a hook; Harry only had to reel her in now.

“You know what I want.”

“There are whores for that.”

“Indeed. However, I find myself displeased. None of them are fulfilling my needs… not in the way you do.”

“Is that all you took me for?”

“I took you because I knew from the moment that I saw you serving Hetty, you had a fire that very few women have. She kept you close by for a reason.”

“Yet all you do is keep me trapped in this room, making my fire decrease each day. A bit counterproductive, don’t you think?”

“And if I were to free you, then what? You would run for the hills at the first chance you got. I didn’t pay all of that money just for you to vanish.”

“I’m never going to be free of you.” It was a statement but the way she said it left the opening for Harry to speak again.

“I will not be losing you. Your only freedom shall be in the arms of death, and perhaps not even then.” Carina felt her breath catch in her throat. This was the first time that he had threatened her with recruitment. Was he serious? Why would he do such a thing to her? Surely she was not that important to him. “I do not like losing my toys, and I suppose I may one day become bored and wish to kill you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not curious to see how becoming a vampire would suit you. Fergus and I have had long discussions about it and we think your fight would be complimentary to you as a vampire. It would be a shame to rid the world of you when you have so much potential to become quite the monster.” Harry let his words sink in for a few moments before turning his gaze back to the curtain. “Now, would you like to see more of the sun before it hides behind the hills?”

Carina, still in shock at hearing of her captor’s plans for her, nodded slowly. If her suffering wasn’t even going to end with her death then she was going to appreciate the beauty of the world whilst she still felt able to. A tear fell down her cheek as he moved the curtain to the side and allowed the warmth of the sun to hit her form on the bed. Her gaze focused upon the light that came through the window and she barely flinched as Harry returned to lying beside her on the bed.

Without thinking she brought her legs up and bent her knees so that he could lie between them. He accepted the silent act of submission and knelt over her. His hands unlaced his breeches slowly as though he was savouring the moment. A shaky breath left her mouth when his left hand pressed against the mattress close to her face. She bit her lip as the fear of what was to come began to overwhelm her; tears trickled over her cheeks when she felt his other hand guiding himself between her legs.

“Mine.” He whispered against her neck huskily.

---

‘It's like the morning never comes I feel the burden of confusion Always searching, on the run

Free me before I slip away Heal me, wake me from this day Can somebody help me?’

---Somebody Help Me by Full Blown Rose---

[darknessisafriend]

Thank you so much for caring 🥺🥺🥺 My favourite is Leonard 🥰☺ But any of the baby boys is good too 😁

Well dear, since you need some cheering up, here’s a little gift just for you! I hope you’ll enjoy it <3 be strong, I know how hard some days can be <3 I will always be here if you need some comfort fics or to talk to me :)

You were not doing great today, feeling lonely, your worries were heavy on your shoulders. You sighed, bringing your knees to your chest, feeling like crying.

*knock knock*

You lifted your head to see who it was, you had made sure to be quiet and keep your feelings to yourself, who was bothering you among your roommates? you soon saw Leonard, your boyfriend.

“Hey Y/N.” he said, slowly entering and pushing the door close behind him, he lightly danced on his feet, pinching the inside of his cheek before approaching and sitting on the bed with you. “I know some days are hard for you…” he murmured and looked at you with understanding. “Before the boys come in and annoy you. I have a magic trick for you, if you like it?” he tried, hopeful, wanting to cheer you up.

You nodded, blinking away the tears in your eyes “You know I love your magic tricks.” you watched as he showed you both closed fists.

“Pick one to see if there’s something in it.” he smiled, a childish glow in his eyes. You pointed to the left hand, he opened it and there was nothing. “Damn! it must have been in the other one!” he played and opened his right hand, nothing. He kept playing confused, making you smile “Where is it gone?” he scratched the back of his head and looked at you “Hmmm maybe..” he reached behind your ear and made a cute necklace appear, a classic trick but it always made you melt.

“Leo! you didn’t have to…” you beamed as you looked at the necklace before giving him a big smooch on the lips. You hugged him, burying your face in his shoulder “Thank you my teddy bear.” you called him by his pet name, his soft and warm embrace soothed you already.

Suddenly your other roommate came in, Francois the theology student, he was carrying a tray with a flower in a vase, a steaming cup and cupcakes. Leonard shook his head as he put the necklace around your neck.

“Dear, I heard you were feeling unwell so I brought you some sweetness for your stomach!” he beamed, joyful as usual, his optimist was quite contagious, he always managed to cheer you up. “Warm milk with honey.” he smiled, giving you a cup. “You know that you can tell everything to your confidant.” he suggested tenderly, kissing your cheek.

“Thank you, you are so sweet-...” you couldn’t even reply to his sweetness that you were interrupted.

“Okay, who's the son of a bitch hurt ya?!” Exclaimed Willie as he angrily came in with Commodus.

“Weren’t you at work?” you asked, a bit puzzled by all of them coming in.

“Cancelled when the monk sent me a text.” he replied seriously, he had even taken off his watch to just focus on you.

“I’m not a monk…” Francois protested, blushing.

“Whatever. Y/N, tell me who hurt you and I will make them pay.” cut them Commodus, taking your hand and kissing it. “I will prepare a bath for you.” he smiled, looking at you fondly.

“WE will make them pay, CEO of my ass.” retorted Willie to Commodus, those two as always were bickering. “And you know what doll, I will take ya shopping, anything you want.” he smiled charmingly at you, taking your other hand and kissing it, making you blush, damn those men.

“Y/N! I got you a new plushie!” Arthur ran inside the room, distracting everyone from bickering, jumping on the bed and giving you the plushie, a big teddy bear.

“Please be careful not to spill her cup!” exclaimed Francois, taking the cup away.

“My only purpose today will be to make you laugh!” Arthur cheered, and started to tickle you. You pinched your lips together, trying not to laugh.

“Great idea Arthur!” giggled Leonard, starting to tickle your neck, followed by the three other boys on your feet and belly.

“P-please stop...ahahaha!!” you burst out laughing, squirming under their tickles and smiling, forgetting about what had upset you.

“Pijama party tonight!” decided Commodus as they all enjoy seeing you happy , they would always be there for you.

[bluebeetle]

Continuing my quest to read (almost) every Jason comic because I am unwell. Still on pre-crisis Jason and from I understand he’s still a few issues away from the Robin costume alas... But it was the same for Tim, too; really only Dick got right to being Robin.

Batman #360

Opens with a prologue about a cop being stabbed. So... a normal day in Gotham.

Love seeing Bruce do all these lil flips without his cape. He’s definitely less acrobatic these days... I guess it’s not seen as ‘manly’ enough?  It’s been a month since the previous arc. Also, Bruce calling him Jay is always so cute, he does it a lot back in the 80s but very rarely these days. Plus, it shows they’ve gotten closer over the last month. 

Bruce gets a call from Gordon about the plot, and shoots down Jason’s attempt to be Robin and go with him. When he points out that Dick was younger than 12 when he took up the mantle, Bruce says it was a mistake.

You can always tell who isn’t very familiar with the comics by if they insist Bruce loves raising child soldiers; he almost always goes against it and doesn’t want any of the kids in danger--only real exception I can think of is Post-Crisis Jason but really I think that was just because they wanted a much shorter introduction to the new version of him, since he had already been around for a few years and had been absent from the Batman comics for a bit then because of the Batman Year One storyline. Much easier to cut to the point, especially when Jason was Robin just a few months ago, in another universe.

Bruce says child soldiers are bad, guys. Anyways, Bruce digs around for answers about the cop stabber, noting that the cops don’t really want his help as they want to take him down on their own.

Remember, Bruce: ACAB.

Yeah, it is a little sillier seeing a man dressed as a bat in broad daylight.

Anyways, Jason’s gone for the rest of the story; killer turns out to be a cop who lost his job and friends because he killed an unarmed black teenager by shooting him in the back, claiming it was self defense. This is how you know this story is fictional--that cop would be forgiven in no time in real life. The guy--Jack Crane, no relation to Scarecrow--hits his head on a pier and drowns, though, so he’s gone for good and Bruce doesn’t have to feel bad about it.

Detective Comics #627 It opens with a reprint of Detective Comics #27 from 1939--the first appearance of Batman

I love golden age art, it’s so charmingly awkward.

For anyone unfamiliar, this story is the inspiration for the Red Hood backstory for the Joker--but in the original it was on purpose and Bat-man didn’t give a shit if people died. How times change! But not the disappearing act; that is a forever trait.  This issue also includes a few retellings of the story, usually with Bruce not being at fault for the man’s death--but sometimes still calling it a fitting ending. I enjoy this one where he fishes out the man’s corpse with a really long hook:

Anyways, Jay’s not in this issue, I just thought it was a fun little thing. 

[alisoncooper]

the captain and havers: oh no there’s only one bed

They walked along the corridor of Button House with their duffel bags slung over their shoulders. The uniform was still as stiff and scratchy as ever, and the friction between the cloth was surely only moments away from sparking into flame.

"I'm sorry that you have to bunk with me, Lieutenant," The Captain said, flashing a faltering smile. He ground his jaw as he swallowed the anxiety pooling in his throat. "Unfortunately, my room is the only place with space left."

Havers smiled a shade more confidently than his superior. "It's quite alright, Sir. I realise this isn't the ideal situation for any of us."

"The leak is undoubtedly unfortunate. I'd wager this house needs far more repairs than it seems."

"It's what I get for choosing a room below a bathroom," Havers said shrewdly. "I appreciate you letting me share with you."

The Captain stopped outside his bedroom door with his hand resting lightly on the doorknob. "I couldn't very well have you sleeping in the corridor, could I? Of course," he said, furrowing his brows and licking his bottom lip, "there is just one problem."

Havers tilted his head and pulled his bag strap further over his shoulder. "What's that?"

"There’s only the one bed," he announced as he pushed open the door.

The bed's headboard was pushed against the garish, pink wallpaper and was sporting similarly unpleasant bedsheets. Unfortunately, they were more practical than they were fashionable - after all, there were more pressing issues than home decor. The sheets had been pulled taut like those on a hospital bed, giving the room a more clinical look despite the quaint array of personal knick-knacks. A pair of spare boots tucked under the bed frame, a brown dressing gown hanging on the back of the door, a book with a creased cover and dog-eared pages on the bedside table.

Havers carefully put his bag down, running his fingers over the footboard. "I'm sure we can make it work," he said. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor. The coats are more comfortable than they look."

The Captain's eyebrows practically buried themselves in his hairline. "Don't be ridiculous - it's far too cold for you to do that. No, no," he said, holding his hands behind his back and bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You are to sleep in the bed. I cannot have you getting sick on my watch, Lieutenant."

"What about you? It would be far worse for the faction if our Captain became unwell." He sat at the edge of the bed, running his hands over it as if he were measuring it up for size. "I suppose the only option left is to share the bed."

"I suppose it is," he said, pulling at his collar and smoothing his tie. "I'm sure we'll make it work...and at least the extra body heat will ensure neither of us succumbs to a malady."

The night came quickly, and The Captain was strict when it came to bedtime—lights out at ten and absolutely no noise out of respect for everyone else. There is a time for work, a time for recreation, and a time for sleep.

Havers and The Captain lay on the outer-most edges of the bed as they rest their heads on the pillow. They said a stilted goodnight, nodding stiffly at one another and smiling from the corners of their mouths. But neither slept. Not for a while anyway.

Just knowing the other was so close sent an electric shock through their limbs—the unmistakable elephant in the room.

The Captain must have fallen asleep sometime before two because it was at that time that a weight roused him from his dreams. An owl hooted somewhere beyond the window, and something was sitting on his chest. When his eyes flickered open and adjusted to the dark, he saw it was Havers' hand pressing against his sternum.

He froze in the bed and barely allowed himself to breathe as he watched the slight quiver of Havers' bottom lip. Even in the dark, he could tell that Havers' cheeks were as charmingly ruddy as always. The Captain had never been so close to him, and now he was, his eyes were attuned to the fine lines of his features and the silver scar on his chin. All of it illuminated by the ethereal glow of the moon coming through the curtains they had forgotten to close.

He looked peaceful. So beautiful.

Tentatively, The Captain rolled towards him, feigning sleep in case Havers woke too. He was so close now that their noses were a hair's breadth away from touching, and their legs were already becoming tangled with one another's and the bedsheets. Havers' skin was softer than he expected, and he had the faint scent of musk, toothpaste, and night air.

When Havers didn't move, he closed his eyes and waited for himself to drift off again, unaware that Havers was awake too and smiling as he touched his forehead to The Captain's.

[sanguinarysanguinity]

WIP Wednesday

"I'll bid you good night," Alison said, rising. "No, no need to get up," she admonished, but Keith, punctilious as he always was toward her, stood anyway. Her husband remained seated, looking up at her in perplexity as she kissed his brow.

"Are you unwell?" he asked.

"Not at all," she said, feeling inexpressible fondness for him. She stroked his hair, shining red-gold in the firelight. In Gaelic, she added, "Lock the door after me, my beloved."

Ewen gaped at her, but she turned to Keith. "Good night, Mr Windham."

"Good night to you, my Lady," Keith returned with a bow, and she left the room.

She had started up the stair when she heard her husband coming after, his step quick. "Alison, Alison, my beloved!" he called quietly and came to a stop three steps beneath hers. He looked up at her breathlessly, earnestly searching her face. "What do you mean, 'lock the door after me'?"

"What do you think I mean, my heart? I wouldn't for the world have you and your lover surprised by any of the household."

Ewen gazed at her, coming up a step. He examined her expression carefully, frowning in concentration. "And you…? You do not… object? Here in your house, I thought perhaps…"

She reached out to touch his face. "Is it not cold in the shielings, this time of year? Draughty, and perhaps also wet? Does your lover not deserve better of you than that?"

Ewen gazed at her, searching her face for any sign of conflict. 

She felt none. "I would see you happy, my heart."

Still Ewen looked at her, then all in a rush, he came up to the step below hers, embracing her. Even a step below her, he was taller than she, and he bent his head over hers, holding her close, before tilting her chin up to kiss her. "Oh, my dearest," he breathed. "My heart. There is no wife better and more generous than you." Again he kissed her, before holding her close again.

She held him close for a moment, her heart twisting with the sweetness of loving him, and the ache that loving him should mean sending him back to his lover. "Eoghain, my sweetheart, did you at least speak to your friend before you ran from the room?" One look at his guilty face told her that he had not. "He does not have the Gaelic. He will be worrying."

"He has a little Gaelic now. We do not only--" And then Ewen blushed, most charmingly.

"Go set him at ease, my dear."

But Ewen embraced her again, and again kissed her. "I only wish--"

"Wish what, my dear?"

"That going to him did not mean leaving you."

It eased her heart to know that he, too, did not find it easy to part with her. But Ewen going to one meant leaving the other, even if only for a little while, and she could feel sympathy for Keith, who saw his lover leave for another's bed every night. It would wound Alison deeply, to find herself in his position. But she would not make Keith feel unwelcome by infringing on what little space of freedom he had with her husband, not when he was so courteous to her, and Ewen loved him so well.

"I will see you before morning, I am sure," she said, and kissed him lightly. "Now go."

Still, it was with a bittersweet ache that she watched her husband return to the study, his step quick and eager. She heard the turn of the lock, then voices -- Keith questioning and Ewen answering, both too low to understand. Then silence.

She stood listening to that silence, longing for she knew not what. Then she turned and climbed the stair.

[salamanderskin]

Winter Returning Part 7-8 (end)

This is the final part. Many thanks to those who have been reading along. I know fewer people read f/f and I don’t write it often, but this piece is very close to my heart. 

 Part 1-2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5-6

Historical lesbian romance, fever, caretaking etc.

“Poor love.” She said, very softly. I don't think she meant me to hear it but I did. Some sweetness in it was exactly what I needed to send me into sleep at last.

Thea

We came into a kind of rhythm after that day, for the two that followed were much the same. I was often busy out of the cottage and though Kay professed restlessness and was forever on her feet, tending her weapons, the fire, the garden, she did not stray far. I came home to find her in the woodland to back of the garden, felling enough wood to last the rest of the winter. I could see that the swing of the axe pained her and she could not stop coughing and sneezing in the cold air, but it was no good asking her not to.

I watched her from a distance. Her breath trickled from her lips in plumes and she paused to cough chokingly into her fist at regular intervals, but it didn't stop her moving.  

We seemed to be stuck in this brittle, lovely pattern. It couldn't last forever, the scouts would come and find her sooner or later and she would leave me as she had before. But for now, all I could do was enjoy it, enjoy her. And I did.  

The shivering cold drew her closer to me and I was grateful for it. We spent the nights under the same blanket. As she got stronger we reverted to our old positions in the bed, me with my head cradled on her breast, her chin on the top of the head.

The third day was different. Kay was much better, her wounds healing. The gash on her head had made a russet crust that still split and cracked when she moved too fast, but she didn’t need the dressing on it any more. The swelling on that side of her face was down, leaving only faint purple warpaint just above her left eye. She let me fasten her hair back from it and looked almost back to her practical self. She moved tenderly around the cut on her stomach. The fever came and went, worse at night, then seemed to pass, though the cold was very much in evidence and she was fairly miserable with it. She didn't say anything but it was in the pained twist of her mouth after a set of sneezes tore through her throat, in the hollow husk of her voice.

“You needn’t-“ she said, each time I rubbed her back through a fit of coughs, or passed her a cup of water in the night. But I think she smiled, and when her head felt heavy she let me run my fingers through her hair.  

I felt better about leaving her then. That day I went out and left Kay sleeping. She lay on her back with her mouth charmingly open, one hand cast above her head as if in a gesture of despair. In sleep her features were softer. She was almost smiling. As I climbed over her to leave the bed I couldn't resist a swift press of my lips to her cheek. She smiled more.  

It was still bitterly cold. I dressed as quickly as I could and threw my thickest shawl over my shoulders before setting out into the morning, munching on a piece of bread. My boots echoed like hoof beats on the frozen earth as a went down the lane and toward the town.  

My business in town kept me for longer than I expected. I saw four patients, stopped by the market and the hardware shop that sold my bottles, cloths for straining and copper pots for boiling up. The woman in there, Mara, blinked at me over her ledger of figures.  

“It’s been a few days. Have you been well?”  

“Quite, thank you.” I said guiltily. “Just avoiding the bitter weather. I had much to do at the cottage despite the season.” 

“Oh aye.” Mara said neutrally. “But there’s folk looking for you. Two scouts came by not an hour ago.”  

“For me?” 

“They didn't have any wounded, they said. Wanted to ask you a question. Asking the way to the cottage. Go out in the square and you’ll catch them, I expect.” 

So it was time. My interval alone with Kay Winter was at an end and her people had come for her. I straightened my back and left the shop at a brisk walk, chin up to face the world. 

I missed them in the square and hurried back along the lanes out of town without a hope of catching them up. The prints in the soft ground under the trees  told me that they were on horseback, so I hadn't a chance. 

It was early afternoon by the time I returned to the cottage. The sun was still above the trees and it shed lemon yellow radiance that made even the bare garden magical. It was incredibly still. Not even the foraging robins were speaking in the bushes. The only intrusion of sound was the huff and stamp of two horses hitched to the big elm tree at the edge of the woods. I passed them on my way to the door, reached out absently to pat the nearest on it’s flank. They were tough dun and black beasts with bright, handsome eyes and the insignia of the King’s Scouts on their tack.  

The door to my house was ajar-  Letting in a draught in this weather- and the unfamiliar rumble of a masculine voice came from within.  

“Hello? Who’s there?” I  called. “Kay?” 

The front  room was empty. Our visitors and Kay herself were through the back, in our bedroom. My bedroom. I felt invaded. Bristling, I strode forward.  

What was Kay doing in the bedroom? Had she taken a turn for the worse? I found it hard to imagine, I'd thought the worst was over and besides Kay would fall on her own sword before she held an audience with her superiors in her nightdress. But sure enough the door to the bedroom was ajar and I could hear Kay coughing. Two tall figures hovered on the threshold.  

“Excuse me, Sir, Madam.” I addressed the two scouts and they turned to me. 

It was the Captain and a scout I didn't recognise who had her dark hair braided up on her head. At least they had the good grace to look embarrassed. 

“Very sorry to intrude, Miss Loughran.” The Captain bowed to me. “We had information suggesting Leiutenant Winter was out this way and we were in the area so….” He spread his weapon-coarsened hands. 

“… so you thought it was appropriate to burst into my house while I was out.”  

He cleared his throat and tilted his head to indicate the bedroom. I peered past his shoulder to see Kay lieing in the bed. Well, it could only have been Kay but the covers were pulled so far up over her head that very little of her could be seen. Her hair was damp with sweat, mussed over the pillow and matted with blood in a streak across her forehead. Her eyes were almost closed but for a split second they opened and caught mine. No way was that woman sleeping. She was watching and listening as hard as she could.  

I was about to speak to her but she shook her head minutely. Then the movement came again, a shudder through her shoulders as she drew a ragged breath and sneezed- “htzSscH!”- weakly against the pillow. She didn't even open her eyes but groaned afterward, her breath a whisper.  

What on earth had happened in the hours I was gone?  

Kay sneezed again and the female scout drew back a few steps in distaste. The sound turned into a nasty, drawn out cough that rattled in her chest. 

The Captain cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed. 

“Truly sorry, Thea.” He said again, less formal and more genuine. “If I'd known she was in such a bad way I'd not have intruded. Had we best come back another day?” 

“I expect you had.” I replied absently, distracted by the state of the woman in my bed. “Wait in the front and I'll see to her a moment.”  

The minute they had retreated I fairly ran to her bedside and knelt, peeling back the covers to look at her face.  

Kay raised her head enough to see that the others were gone and placed one finger to lips. Not a word. Well, then. What was she playing at?  

I cupped a hand over her forehead. It was damp and warm, but only under-the-blankets warm. The wound on her head had been knocked open and she’d swiped the blood and fluid back into her hair. It looked far worse than it was.  

The cough that came a moment later was real enough though. She was working up a nice chest infection and I didn't like the sound of the wheeze between each breath. Kay struggled to one elbow to get more air and I passed her a cup of water. She sipped gingerly and lay back down. 

“I’ll just go and tell the captain that you're too unwell to give information or rejoin the force at present, then.” I said very quietly. 

A cough, a minute nod.  

Back in the healer’s room the female scout was pacing in front of the window as though expecting the ash trees to leap out and attack. The Captain has lowered himself into one of the wooden chairs and gestured for me to take the other. 

“Is she… will she recover?” He asked. 

I bit my tongue. “I expect so. What she needs is time, and not to pass it on to the rest of the force.” 

The scout at the window nodded emphatically and the captain rose to his feet.  

“As you were then, Thea. We’ll be on our way. When should we come back?” 

“I wouldn't hold your breath. She’s wounded too, more than you saw. If you want her back in fighting condition I'd wait for her to come to you. She knows where to find you.” 

“She does that.” He growled, buckling his crossbow back over his shoulder as he made for the door. He paused to clap me on the shoulder. “See her well for us.” 

“I will.” I promised. 

I stood at the window and watched until the horses were out of sight. Only then did I draw the curtains against the bitter weather and made my way back to the bedroom to give Kay Winter a piece of my mind for nearly scaring me to death. 

.......................

Kay 

“You scared me to death!” Was the first thing Thea said when she came into the room. 

“Have they gone then?” 

When she nodded I  flung the covers off and sat upright. It was stifling under there and I was wearing some of Thea's old clothes, for when I head the Captain coming I hadn't had time to change. Between the two I was slick with sweat and it made the congestion and pounding in my head feel ten times worse.

Thea came to sit on the side of the bed.

“I didn't know you were an actress. Or such an actress as that.”

“Neither did I. But it was worth a chance.” I said.

Thea laughed then, really laughed. “It seems they think you have some sort of plague. You're as cunning as a winter fox.”

I had to snuffle uncomfortably to answer, finally admitting. “I feel rough enough. I'm not exaggerating so much as all th- th--aah – htzSscH!”

A conveniently timed sneeze knocked me forward into my lap. When I looked up, Thea was holding a handkerchief out for me with a complicated expression on her face.

“But Kay-” she paused. “Why? Why exaggerate? Why lie?”

There was the question. It wasn't until she asked it that I knew the answer myself, and then it was obvious. There was more than simple need that had lead me to this house in the woods

“Because...” a deep, steadying breath. “I just want to stay here with you. If you'll have me.”

There. I'd said it. My heart was hammering now and I closed my eyes as though I could remove myself from the situation.

“Why did you wait so long?”

I shrugged. “I thought if I was injured you wouldn't turn me away. I didn't mean to get ill, to be a burden-”

“Of course you didn't mean to. Nobody would wish that on themselves.”

To be in your arms? I thought, they just might.

Thea still hadn't quite answered the question but the reassurance in her eyes was quite enough for me.

Most of her hair had worked loose in what must have been a headlong hurry through the woods. She pulled the tie from the end and bundled it in her hands, rebraiding it into a fat plait like a horses' tail. I loved the darkness of it against her skin. As the strands of hair were bound together so her thoughts collected themselves, visibly, and when she looked at me properly again it was the practical, sensible Thea I was used to.

“You're soaked with sweat. You ought to have a bath.”

It did sound good. Now she said it I was aware of the slick, itchiness on my skin. I ducked relexively into “Not if it's too much trouble...?”

“Stop it, Winter, it's no trouble. I'll go and draw the water.” Thea said, and off she went, leaving me marvelling at this woman and at myself.

…

When the bath water was warm, Thea called me into her front room, the healer's room where the  tub sat in front of the fire. Evening had fallen but the lamps were lit and golden light spilled across the floorboards. It was warmer in there and Thea had taken her overdress off. She was left in a light undershirt and a skirt, sleeves pushed up to her forearms to be out of the water. When she saw me approach she pulled a kettle from the fire and added it to the bathtub where the water steamed.

She'd seen more of me than most people but I still felt a twinge of shyness and wondered if she was going to turn her back while I bathed or whether she intended to wash me like a babe.  Thea's face was flush, eyes shining. The humidity had lifted curls of hair from her forehead.

She was definitely watching me, perhaps for the cue to leave. She didn't have to leave.

I started at the buttons on my shirt when Thea rose suddenly, crossed the room to look at me and almost shouted;

“--You were promoted and you just left-- You never came back!”

Thea never raises her voice.

She clapped a hand over her mouth but the words had already surprised me, too; like a slap, like ripping a bandage from smarting flesh.

“Did you want me to?”

I had to be sure. I hadn't been sure then and that had been the problem.

Thea had gained back her usual control now. She took a step back from me but kept those dark eyes on me all the while.

“Are you mad?” She said. “Yes. Of course I did.”

I felt a little light-headed. It must have been the warmth in the room.

“I didn't know...” I said stupidly. She stared at me defiantly until I continued. “... For the first six months I couldn't write, and then I didn't know what to say. I thought you wouldn't want me away most of the year. You could have someone with you all the time. Someone more like you.”

“I don't want anybody else.”

She sighed and turned away, hands twitching for a job to do. I reached out and held them, held her to me.

“Are you angry, Thea?” I asked.

She didn't have to think about it.

“...not with you.”

Then she kissed me.

The sweetness of it nearly knocked the air from my lungs, at once foreign and familiar- I remembered this, but it had been such a long time. Her eyes closed but I kept mine open so I could watch her. It was long, slow and tentative as our lips and tongues began the process of relearning each other. It was only after our lips had drawn apart and we were gazing drunkenly at each other that it occurred to me- “I'll get you ill...”

Thea gave a giddy laugh, murmured, “It's days too late to worry about that. But your bath will get cold. Take your things off.”

So I did, and there was no more shame to be had. I dropped them in a puddle on the floor and stepped into the warm water before the chill of the air could rake my skin. It was good and hot.

Bright fire burned across the site of my wound and I paused my breathing to grit my teeth until it passed, and pass it did as relaxation stole over me.

The steam from the bath loosened the congestion in my head and I sniffed warily, knuckling under my nose in irritation.

“That must feel better.”

I lay in that bath for a long time, breathing slowly, casting shy looks at the woman beside me.

“It's getting cold.” Thea said at last. “You should get out.”

“Can I go to bed now?” I asked. Out of the water I was shivering and my teeth started to chatter.

“Of course.” Thea smiled. She found my nightdress as I towelled myself down and came to me with a candle in her other hand, like a vision of everything I ever wanted; warm, kind, beautiful.  

“I feel like I could sleep for a thousand years...”

“You can rest as much as you want, Kay.” She said. “After all, it's nearly winter and the weather may be too bad to worry about rejoining the scouts until spring.”

We both looked out of the window at the same time and blessed the darkening night that, this time, would keep us together.

FIN

Huge thanks to anyone who has made it to the end of this. 

[randomfandomimagine]

Worried Sick (Shayne Topp x Reader)

Characters: Shayne Topp, Damien Haas, Noah Grossman, Courtney Miller, Olivia Sui, Keith Leak Jr.

Fandom: Smosh (Youtubers)

Tags: Reader Insert, Female Reader, Sickfic

Warnings: None

Requested by anon: Can I get a Shayne from Smosh scenario where reader gets sick, but acts like she's ok and passes our during a challenge or something and Shayne freaks out and helps her? (Maybe Damien there too and is also worried as a friend?) 

You all sat down in the couches to record a video for Smosh. You were a little nervous, because you were going to do a Spin the Bottle thing and, for what you had seen in their videos, it could get a little crazy and weird. And you were just a guest, even if you were good friends with them all. Still, you hoped whatever it was, you had to do it with Shayne or Damien, who you were closest to.

“You okay, Y/N?” The latter bumped his shoulder into yours, trying to cheer you up with a little smile. “Nervous?”

“A little bit” You shrugged to brush it off.

“You should be” Shayne jokingly got closer to you, speaking with a ‘scary’ voice. “Get ready”

“Gosh darnit, Shayne! Don’t scare Y/N!” Damien replied. “Like, it’s not that dangerous”

“Shut up” You rolled your eyes at them as they giggled together, and just then arrived the rest. Courtney and Keith were there, as were Olivia and Noah.

“Guys, we’re calling action!” They warned you behind the cameras.

“Okay” You took a deep breath, trying to settle the nerves.

You also wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. You loved hanging out with them and always had a blast, but truth was, you weren’t feeling your best. You were a little light-headed, you couldn’t tell if it was because you were giddy and jittery or because you were tired. You had starting feeling sick a few days ago and didn’t get to sleep or eat much. But that morning you felt better and blamed your unwell on the nerves.

“And action!” They announced, so you focused on smiling and waving at the camera while they did the intro.

The more you thought about being on camera and the many possible embarrassing and strange things you were about to do, the lousier you felt. Especially since you weren’t as close with the rest, only with Damien and Shayne.

“Shayne starts!” Courtney handed the giant bottle to him.

Your friend put it on the ground and gave it a good spin. You didn’t know if you wanted it to land on you or not, it was starting to get a little hard to focus. All you could think about was how you felt nauseous and warm, and the cameras and lights weren’t helping much.

“Y/N!” They all celebrated when the bottle landed on you.

Shayne picked up the bucket and rummaged through it until he pulled out a paper. The dare must have amused him, because he started laughing loudly like he did.

“Slow dancing like robots!!” He finally read, causing a few chuckles and giggles.

You were feeling a little under the weather, but you thought you could power through it. The video couldn’t take that long to film, you could hold on. You promised yourself to take some medicine and sleep for a week when you got home.

Charmingly, Shayne offered you his hand and you took it and let him pull you up. After you stood on your feet, you immediately felt ten times worse as a wave of exhaustion washed over you. You thought that it was just a head rush, but your stomach felt queasy too and your legs were shaky.

You panted in exhaustion, leaning over Shayne and resting your forehead against his shoulder. They awed and muttered amongst them, and must have think it was part of the dare, that you were goofing around, but you weren’t. You tried to call out for Shayne, but you felt so weak that you couldn’t find your voice. You only tapped him in the back but he did nothing. 

Shayne’s hands were awkwardly on your back as he folded his elbow joints like a robot. But then he finally realized something was wrong when you wobbled and leaned the entirety of your weight over his torso.

“Wow, you okay?” He whispered to you, his voice dripping with concern. You weakly shook your head and tried to wrap your arms around him for support. “Oh my god!!”

“Y/N?” Courtney asked, just as worried when she saw Shayne’s panicked expression.

Shayne quickly wrapped his arms around you to hold you up. You could feel your head spinning as everyone freaked out and stood up, calling your name and loudly speaking in panic.

“Guys, I think we should stop the video!” Damien’s voice exclaimed over the ruckus.

“No, no, leave her some room to breathe!” Noah observed, seeing as everyone closed in, concerned.

“Shayne, you should get her somewhere calm” You couldn’t even distinguish whose voice that was anymore.

You felt relieved when Shayne firmly wrapped one of his strong arms around your waist and easily scooped you up as his other arm hooked under your knees. You tiredly rested your temple against his shoulder, nuzzling his neck for comfort. Damien closely followed, mumbling suggestions about how to help you.

Shayne hurriedly took you away from there and you closed your eyes, trusting him to look after you. You felt so sick that all you wanted to do was sleep and get rid of all that dizziness, queasiness and headache. As soon as you left the warm room and the crowd, you felt a little better.

Before you knew, he set you down in a couch, his arms still hovering around you in case you wobbled and fell off it. But being rid of the pressure of the video and away from the cameras and the bright lights was a big improvement. And now you were surrounded by your two best friends, who would take care of you.

“I’m gonna get you some water” Damien rushed off, leaving the room in a hurry.

“Y/N?” Shayne gently tapped your shoulder and so you looked up at him leaning down to you, even if your glance felt hazy and distant. “Hey, you okay?”

You took a deep breath, still feeling weak and faint, and nodded. He heaved a sigh of relief when you showed some sort of reaction. You hated to worry him and everyone, but you really didn’t have any strength left.

“What happened?” His voice, although soft, was dripping concern just as the one reflected in his piercing blue eyes. He paused, but seeing as you were too weak to properly reply, he continued. “Did you eat something today?”

You feebly shook your head, feeling yourself heavy and clumsy. Needing his comforting closeness, you tugged at his wrist and brought him to the couch with you until he sat by your side.

“I’m here!” Damien then returned, still as frantically as when he left. He clutched a bottle of water in his hand, and was sitting next to you in a flash. “Drink, you’ll feel better”

You took the water from him and began downing it, finding yourself to be incredibly thirsty, maybe even a little bit dehydrated too.

“Easy, buddy, we don’t want you choking on it too” Damien warned you, gently rubbing your arm as to make you feel better.

As soon as you were done drinking, you gave him the water and leaned your head on Shayne’s shoulder, completely exhausted. He wrapped an arm around you to keep you close.

“Is that better?” Your friend asked you, to which you nodded.

“You were a little sick a few days ago, right?” Shayne asked you after that. “Maybe it’s catching up to you”

“Maybe we should get you some sugar or something” Damien muttered, helplessly looking around for something that could help you. “Anything to eat…”

“I’m… I’m feeling a little better” After drinking water and sitting down there, calmly, with your close friends, you were starting to settle a bit. “Don’t worry, guys, I’m okay”

“You almost fainted on me, Y/N!” Shayne suddenly exclaimed, startled at the sound of your voice again. “If you were feeling sick, why didn’t you say so?” 

You shrugged, knowing you had no real excuse. You wanted to pretend like you were okay, to keep working and hang out with your friends. But you shouldn’t have pushed yourself like that.

Noticing his friend’s annoyance, and willing to lighten the mood, Damien intervened.

“The important thing is you’re okay” He mumbled. “And now you have to rest” 

“Yeah” You sighed, embracing the feeling of their protectiveness. “Thanks”

“You gave us quite a scare there” Damien let out a deep sigh, a bit relieved to see you improving.

“Sorry…” You genuinely said, patting his arm while still resting over Shayne.

“You need to take care of yourself…” Shayne mumbled, still recovering from the mini heart attack.

“Yeah” Damien warmly smiled at you in spite of it all. “Or we will”

You smiled a bit too, knowing they would definitely stay with you there until you felt better.

Tagging: @thatsdarwinism

[thefloorisbalaclava]

Wayward - Part 6

A/N: You find yourself at another dinner that goes a little better this time but still leaves you with conflicting and confusing feelings.

Jacob is in this chapter ;)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 7

Warnings: none

You stood in the middle of your living room trying to figure out what the hell just happened. You just had a normal conversation with John Seed, the man that had tattooed you with your sins. He apologized. He had clearly punished himself and atoned for what he did to you. You weren’t sure if you forgave him, but it was a start.

Wait. No. You shouldn’t be forgiving that man at all.

He was so sincere though and—

“No!” you shouted at yourself. You weren’t all about that forgive and forget stuff and he wasn’t about to turn you into one of his Peggies. “Fuck that…” You stomped upstairs and got ready for bed. You'd deal with the rest of your thoughts tomorrow.

The doorbell rang and you groaned, rolling over to check the clock. 7 AM. Who could that possibly be? If your mind hadn’t been so foggy from sleep you would have figured it out before making your way downstairs to answer the door only to find The Father himself standing there.

“Holy sh—I mean…what are you doing here, Joseph?!” You hid your body behind the door and blushed—he really didn’t need to see what you wore to bed.

“Are you joining us this morning?” he asked with a soft smile.

“I, uh, I don't know.”

“I will walk with you if you like.” You looked him up and down, glad that he decided to wear a shirt today.

“Joseph…I’m not even showered and dressed yet.”

“I see that.” He chuckled and…was he being cheeky?

“Um…do you mind waiting?” you asked.

“Not at all. Would you like me to wait out here or…?”

“Oh…please, come in.” You made your way to the stairs. “I'll be back down as soon as possible.” You ran upstairs and undressed to get in the shower. Joseph Seed was in your house, sitting on your sofa. The Father was waiting for you. You showered quickly and found a comfortable dress to put on then slipped your favorite flats on.

“Ready,” you called as you bounded down the stairs. Joseph stood and looked at you. You could see he was about to speak but the words got caught in his throat as he took you in. “Is everything okay?”

“Y-yes…fine.” You both looked at each other a little longer then your phone rang and you were happy for the distraction.

Staci. You turned around and answered the phone quietly. “I’ll call you back later, Stace.” You hung up and walked to the door with Joseph following closely behind.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” he said sincerely.

“No…just a friend. I’ll call him back later.” You walked to the door and opened it. “Shall we?”

He nodded once and walked to you. “After you,” he said, holding his arm out the open door.

“Thanks.”

“My pleasure.” He walked slowly beside you which you were thankful for. “Beautiful day is it not?”

“It’s a lovely day.” You closed your eyes and turned your face to the sun, spinning a few times. You hadn’t seen the way Joseph looked at you as if you were the most perfect thing on earth. “I prefer the weather here,” you said opening your eyes again.

“Winter can get pretty bad,” he told you, walking with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I'd just stay inside with a nice book and a cup of cocoa then.”

“Sounds like a dream.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never done that before?” You looked up at him and he looked straight ahead.

“A very long time ago before…” he trailed off and you didn't push the matter any further. “I want to ask you something. You have every right to say no.”

“Um…okay.”

“I would like to invite you to dinner again…with all of my siblings this time.” He looked at you nervously as you chewed on your lip.

“Can I think about it and give you an answer after the service?”

He nodded. “Of course you can.”

It was hard to believe a man this kind, this soft spoken, led a cult. You had read the Book of Joseph to familiarize yourself with him and his family but you knew it wouldn't tell you everything. The man walking beside you was capable of killing just as well as you, if not better.

“Are you okay?” he asked and you noticed you had stopped walking. He walked back to you, his brow wrinkled in concern. “Are you unwell?”

“No…no. I just get lost in thought sometimes. Sorry.” You smiled and started walking again, spotting the church. “Thanks for walking with me.”

“It was my pleasure. I’ll see you inside.” He bowed slightly before walking off.

You watched people file into the church, greeting Joseph, the Father, enthusiastically. As you walked closer, you saw his family happily greeting their flock though Jacob looked as though he really didn’t want to be there.

“Hello!” Faith said happily, floating over to you. “We're so happy you’re here with us.” She linked arms with you and walked into the church, leading you to the front row before letting go and standing with her brothers at the altar. You sat down and tried your best to ignore John who couldn't keep his eyes off you. You looked at Jacob instead who happened to be watching you as well. His face gave nothing away and he eventually looked away only to give John a strange look.

Joseph spoke of lies and not being true to oneself and you felt as though you were being called out with every word. You had lied to him, to all of them, and the lies wouldn't stop any time soon.

“God will forgive you no matter what.” He looked directly at you and your heart stopped for a moment until he smiled and addressed the rest of the congregation.

After the service, you were allowed a small reprieve while Joseph and his siblings greeted and spoke to a few of the members. You made your way outside and stood under a tree for shade, fanning yourself.

“Hot?” someone asked and you turned to them. It was Jacob Seed himself.

“Yeah…can’t any I'm used to it. Not yet at least.” You smiled but his face never changed.

“That's why I prefer being up in the mountains. The air is fresher up there too.”

“I bet,” you said, unsure of why he had decided to speak to you now out of all times when he had never spoken to you before.

“There you are,” Joseph said making his way over and ending the awkward tension between you and his older brother. “So, have you thought about my question?”

You hadn’t really been thinking about much at all but now that he had put you on the spot you had to answer. “Yes and…I'd love to have dinner with you….and your family!” you added quickly.

He clasped his hands together and smiled. “Oh, just the answer I was looking for.” You turned down his offer to walk you home. You needed space and time to think.

For the next few hours, you busied yourself with housework then found yourself a nice dress to wear to dinner. Would heels be too much? You decided against them and put on comfortable shoes…just in case.

No sooner than you put your shoes on the doorbell rang and you opened the door to find John smoothing his hair. He smiled charmingly and put his hands behind his back. “Ready for dinner?” He looked you up and down then nodded. “Looks like I got here right on time.”

“You did. I’m ready to go.” He moved back so you could step outside and close the door then walked you to his car in silence. You rolled your eyes when he opened the door for you with a flourish. He certainly seemed like a new man compared to when he came to see you a day ago. “Thank you.”

When he got in the car and started it, you nearly burst into laughter at what you heard. Was he really listening to his own song? It was quite good if you were being honest. You hadn’t realized you were tapping your leg along to the music until he pointed it out. “Do you like it?” he asked and you looked at him. “The song?”

“Oh…um…yeah it’s good.”

“I wrote it,” he said proudly. Of course he did.

“Oh, you’re a songwriter too. Is there anything you don't do?” you asked jokingly but he looked as though he was seriously considering an answer. Instead he began talking about himself some more and you let him. The more you knew about this family the easier it would be to take them down.

Remember your goal.

“I’m a pilot. I'd love to take you flying one day.” He grinned like a child when you told him you'd like that. You were quiet for awhile until you looked over and realized he was looking at you out the corner of his eye.

“Is there something you want to say?” you asked but you weren’t so sure you wanted to hear the answer.

“What I did to you…”

“John…” You shifted in the chair and looked down at the tattoo on your chest. “Don’t. We've talked about this already.”

“I did it because sin must be exposed so it may be absolved.” You thought back to all the tattoos on him specifically the sins tattooed on his hand. You eyed the SLOTH slashed across his chest—it had been crossed out but you wondered…

“What happens when my sins are absolved?” You continued staring at his scar. “Will you just…cross it out? I mean, it’s not like you can remove it…”

“There are many ways to remove a tattoo.” He said it so plainly, so nonchalantly, that it scared you. How many tattoos had he removed in his life? How much blood had he spilled? Those hands of his looked gentle enough to caress but were rough enough to kill.

…but so were yours.

He pulled in front of his ranch house and you stayed in the car even as he walked around to open the door for you. “I know what you're thinking. I know you’re afraid but I promise you nothing will happen to you. We're past that.” You looked up at him and his smirk immediately irritated you.

“Past it? John…you’ve marked me permanently.” You got out of the car thinking that he would move away to give you room but he only trapped you against the car, his arms on either side of you.

“I thought you forgave me…”

“…I think we-”

“John!” Joseph's gentle voice called and John looked away nervously. He moved away from you stiffly and you smoothed your dress down, forcing yourself to smile.

“Hello Joseph,” you greeted, avoiding John's gaze.

“Good evening, child. I do hope my brother behaved himself bringing you here.” He eyed John then looked back at you with a warm smile. He put his forehead against yours and inhaled as if he were smelling a flower. John shifted his weight to his other leg uncomfortably then cleared his throat.

“We shouldn’t keep the others waiting.” He looked down as Joseph took your hand.

“John is right. Let us go inside.” He led you inside and when his hand left yours you almost reached out to take it back. Faith walked over to you happily and hugged you while Jacob nodded once, looking you over. When John walked in, he and Jacob shared a look that you were sure you weren’t supposed to see.

After a prayer, you all ate quietly for a time but soon Faith couldn't stop talking to you. You looked up and Joseph watched you two from the head of the table, smiling when your eyes met. He eventually looked away to speak with his brothers and you wished you were closer to pick up on what they were saying.

Suddenly, your phone began to buzz and you excused yourself, walking outside to take the call.

“Hey Staci,” you said, taking a deep breath. Your voice sounded different and he would be able to tell.

“Rook…what’s wrong?” Yup.

“I'm, uh, I’m with the Seeds right now.” You scrunched up your face, preparing to get scolded.

“You what?! By yourself? Please tell me you brought something with you.”

You tapped the holster on your thigh that was hidden by the flowy material of your dress. “Of course. I don’t think they want to hurt me though. They’re treating me as though I’m part of their family.”

“I never though I'd say this but that could be worse than them trying to hurt you. They could be brainwashing you and you don’t even know it!” Staci talked in a nervous whisper and he was making you nervous…as if you went already.

“They're not brainwashing me. Don’t be ridiculous. I won’t let that happen.”

“You won’t know when it's happening. Joseph Seed and his family are more powerful than you think…” You could imagine him sitting at his desk and twirling a pen between his fingers nervously.

“Stace…I'll be fine, okay? You know I have you on speed dial if anything does go down anyway.” You smiled at the little chuckle you heard on the other end.

“You better. Just…take care of yourself, Rook. I…miss you. We all do even though Whitehorse pretends not to.”

“I miss you too. This will be over before you know it. Promise.” You said your goodbyes and blinked back tears before turning to the door and walking inside. They all went silent when you walked into the dining room.

“Is everything okay?” Joseph asked, studying your face.

“Yes.” You smiled and he smiled back, something that you were becoming fond of and should stop right away. You looked away and sat back down still feeling eyes on you.

“Boyfriend?” Jacob asked suddenly and everyone looked at you.

“No. Friend.”

“Hm.” He looked as though he had more to say but kept his mouth closed.

“Where is the bathroom?” you asked before things got more awkward. John only pointed up the stairs. “I'll find it!” you said before going up two steps at a time. You wandered around a bit eventually finding the huge bathroom and your mouth dropped open. “Jesus…I mean-" You slapped your hand over your mouth and looked behind you as if Joseph would appear out of nowhere.

The bath was big enough to swim in and you could probably get lost in the shower. You walked over to the sinks (yes, plural) and the large mirror and looked at yourself.

“Calm down, Rook. Get yourself together.” You wet your face then lifted your dress to check your holster. Good. You had a feeling in the pit of your stomach and it usually ended up being right. After one last look, you made your way out of the bathroom. You closed the door and turned around to find Jacob standing against the banister, arms crossed. “Oh!”

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, smirking at your reaction. “I have a question for you.”

“Um…okay…”

“You think you’re gonna need that?” he asked and you looked at him, confused. He pointed to your thigh and repeated himself. “That.”

“How did you…?”

He was in front of you faster than you expected. “You won’t need it.” He trailed his hand up your thigh and stopped at your holster. “Even under this dress I can tell.” You backed away from him and he let you, putting his hands up. “I can see why my brothers like you…”

“Thanks?”

“Not sure if I trust you as much but give it some time.” He stared you down and you had no choice but to look at him. His presence demanded it. “Are you any good with that gun?”

“I think so.” Your voice cracked and you clasped your hands together to stop them from shaking.

“If you’re worried about me telling my family, don't. It'll be our little secret.” He winked and walked down the stairs. You gave yourself some time to breathe before following him down.

“Are you okay?” Joseph asked, standing quickly as soon as you walked back into the room. He looked at Jacob then back at you.

“I’m fine, Joseph. Thank you.” He cupped your face with his large hand. “Really. I am.”

“Would you like dessert? Faith baked a cake,” John said and you turned to him though Joseph didn’t let you move too far away from him.

“Chocolate!” Faith chirped proudly.

“I love chocolate cake,” you said and she lit up even more. “I’ll help you.” She smiled brightly as you followed her into the kitchen. You could hear the brothers discussing something as you grabbed plates and utensils.

“The Father thinks very highly of you,” Faith said.

“I can’t see why but I am grateful.”

“Are you afraid?” she asked.

“I—”

“You don’t have to be afraid of us, of him. He is kind and gentle and will treat you well.” Why was she talking as if he was going to marry you? “He made me the person I am today.” You could only smile and nod. How were you supposed to respond to that?

“The cake looks delicious,” you said and her demeanor quickly changed. She beamed at you again.

“I hope it tastes as good as it looks,” she joked and you both laughed. “Let’s not keep them waiting.” You followed her back into the dining room and the brothers stopped talking immediately though you were sure you heard something along the lines of ‘she is mine’ and it came from Joseph.

“Ah, there they are,” Joseph said. He pulled the chair out for you to sit down and cut the cake. You all ate silently then he stood and asked for you to join him outside.

“Beautiful night isn’t it?” He stood close to you, so close you could feel his warmth.

“Yes, Joseph.” You looked up at the sky amazed at how many stars you were able to see out here. “Beautiful,” you whispered.

“I would like for you to come and stay with me. At my compound.” It was so sudden, so unexpected that you could only look at him, eyes wide.

“Why? Why me?”

“God wants it.” He looked up at the sky just as you had. “You belong there.”

“Joseph…I need time to think. I…don’t…”

“Take your time. Soon you will know what is right. God will let you know.” He turned you towards him and leaned in. You were sure he was going to place his forehead against yours instead he kissed you. You tried to fight it at first but soon found yourself kissing him back. Why? This shouldn’t be happening.

But it felt so right.

You reached up grabbed the back of his neck and deepened the kiss knowing that this was wrong.

Stop. Stop. STOP!

“Joseph, we…” John stopped short as you pulled away from Joseph quickly but not soon enough. You wiped your lips as Joseph looked at his brother angrily.

“Yes John?”

“I was just going to say that we should get out guest home before it gets too late. I can take her now,” John offered.

“I’ll take her,” Joseph said and John lowered his head.

“Yes…Joseph.”

“Shall we?” He said, turning to you.

“Okay…” You looked behind you as Joseph lead you away from the ranch house. “Goodnight John.” He only nodded and walked back into the house.

Your wayward soul had found itself in the middle of a dangerous game.

[xxsparksxx]

Can you provide context for this quote said by Ross in ‘Bella Poldark’: “The mysteries of physical attraction are an enigma that no one has ever quite solved”? I saw someone tweet it with a Romelza pic but I keep my twitter private so I can’t ask them. Thx.

It’s actually not about Ross and Demelza directly. It’s in a conversation between Ross and one of Clowance’s suitors, Philip Prideaux (after she has agreed to marry Edward Fitzmaurice):

They greeted each other cordially and for a few minutes discussed the future welfare of Wheal Elizabeth. Then Philip said: ‘I understand your younger daughter has been unwell. I hope it was nothing serious?’‘Afraid it was,’ Ross said. ‘She is making progress now, but it is not forgone and will take weeks yet.’‘Did she contract this in France?’‘It seems so. But Dr Enys says the infection may have been latent for some time.’‘And Clowance?’ Philip asked.Ross stared out at the pellucid sea, which was as flat as a plate.‘She made her own choice. I’m sorry.’‘It destroyed my hopes.’‘I understand how you must feel.’‘I gather she has known this – this Lord Edward Fitzmaurice for several years.’ ‘Quite a time. I am not sure how long, but it was well before she married Stephen Carrington.’‘But they met infrequently?’‘Yes . . . Philip, I do not think much advantage will be gained by discussing this with me. I am, as it were, on the outside. I could not see, cannot see, into Clowance’s heart.’‘Possibly he could offer her more than I could.’‘That was for her to decide. But if you mean more in a material sense, I think I can speak for Clowance with complete authority in saying it would not have made the slightest difference.’‘I’m sorry. That remark was not worthy of me.’‘She wrote you?’‘Most charmingly, and at length. It did not affect the – the bitter disappointment to me of the message.’‘Of course not. Have you seen her since? ‘No. I understand she is staying at Nampara looking after her sister.’‘Yes. But Lord Edward is also here, staying with the Enyses. Probably it would be better, when you see her again, if you saw her alone.’Philip inclined his head. ‘I agree, though perhaps it is good for the modesty of one’s immortal soul that one should meet the man who has been preferred by the girl one loves.’Ross looked over the sea again. ‘My dear chap, I do not believe virtue enters into it at all. The mysteries of physical attraction are an enigma that no one has ever quite solved.’Just then another tall thin figure approached them.‘Well, well,’ said Valentine. ‘I was about to go to bed for a snooze when I was told that Wheal Elizabeth had visitors. So I came to greet you – if briefly – before I retire.’

(I included those last lines about Valentine as an added context to what Ross says about physical attraction being an enigma - in later years he has a great deal of contact with Valentine, which lends extra colour to some of what Ross observes/says about love and desire!)

[takaraphoenix]

Phoe’s Advent Calendar: Day 13

Ah, this one didn’t come from tumblr but from FFNet. *grins*

Title: Advent Calendar Project – Prince in Peril

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Disclaimer: All rights to the remake reserved to DreamWorks, Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos, and to the original to Toei Animation. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: shounen-ai, polyamory (threesome), medieval, knights, fluff, sharing body-heat

Main Pairing: Shiro/Keith/Lance

Voltron Characters: Lance Charles McClain, Keith Kogane, Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane

Summary: Keith and Shiro set out to save the prince, who got abducted by a vicious dragon. Only that Lance didn't get abducted, he ran away. That he ran straight into the arms or a dragon is an entirely different story.

Links: FFNet | AO3

Prince in Peril

Lance groaned frustrated where he sat in his golden cage, looking down at the two stupidly handsome knights. Shiro and Keith, the strongest, fiercest, handsomest knights of the Altean Kingdom. The very reasons why Prince Lance of Altea had run away in the first place.

"Go away", grunted Lance nonplussed. "I don't need saving."

Keith raised one elegant eyebrow, looking like the cocky shit Lance knew him to be. "You're literally sitting in a golden cage, dangling from the ceiling, being guarded by a dragon."

Lance opened his mouth to protest as Shiro offered that dazzlingly blinding smile of his. Urgh. Stupid, perfect, broad-shouldered knight. Lance was so gone on both of them, which was exactly why Lance had run away. He couldn't continue watching Shiro and Keith secretly kiss behind the stables, looking gorgeous together and loving each other, while Lance was a prince. He would never be able to even secretly have that kind of love. He'd one day be married off to some princess. And sure, he liked girls just as much as knights, but right now he was maddeningly in love with Shiro and Keith, so how was he supposed to move on from that if he had to see them every day? He just wanted to get away, wanted a chance to get over them and make his own way without responsibility. He wasn't next in line anyway, his big sister Allura would be a good and fair queen and the people already loved her anyway. He was just the 'spare heir'. The goofball little brother no one really took seriously. It wasn't his fault he had run straight into a dragon though!

"You were abducted from the palace-", started Shiro in that gentle tone of his.

"No, I wasn't. I ran away. This is just... a set-back. But I can handle it on my own", groaned Lance.

"...Ran away?", echoed Keith in disbelief before turning to Shiro. "Did... Did he really just...?"

"Yes, he did", confirmed Shiro, frowning. "Why would you run away, my prince?"

And that. That was exactly why he had run away. He would never be more than their prince. They would never see him as their equal, much less as a love interest. No one would ever see Lance as just Lance. Everyone always just saw the royal prince. Allura's baby-brother. Gritting his teeth, Lance looked away from the two handsome heroes, instead glaring at the ground.

"My prince?", asked Shiro gently, clearly confused. "Did... anything happen?"

"If someone hurt you, show me their face", growled Keith darkly, protectively.

Lance flushed at that. Another reason why he had to leave. They were both fiercely protective of Lance, always nice to Lance. But those were their jobs. They didn't do it because they cared about Lance as a person. All the while Lance was stupidly, hopelessly in love with them both.

The next moment, Lance was free falling and screaming. Apparently, Keith had opened the cage. Lance would be cussing if not for Shiro's insanely strong arms catching him. Lance flushed brightly as he found himself carried princess-style by Shiro, the knight smiling down at him charmingly.

"Let's get you out of here for now, my prince", stated Shiro firmly.

"Uhm... Shiro. I think we should stay a little longer", disagreed Keith with a glare.

He had gone ahead to the entrance of the cave, pointing at the snow outside. The sky was black as white fell in a harsh storm. Shiro's grip on Lance tightened as the two knights walked away from the cave's entrance, going deeper into the cave toward the dragon's hoard. Gold and treasure, but also silk and expensive fabrics that would do well for a makeshift bed.

"...You can put me down", grunted Lance frustrated.

Keith glared in equal frustration as he watched Shiro put down their prince. Honestly, Keith had hoped this to be a grand rescue. That their prince would fawn over them, be grateful and admire them for being his heroes. Instead, their prince was being completely ungrateful. Sure, the feelings Keith and Shiro had for their prince were absolutely inappropriate, but was it really asking too much to get a basic level of gratitude from the pretty prince? Instead of focusing on Lance, Keith started making a fire. With the snow-storm outside, temperatures had fallen fast now and their prince was already shuddering. Shiro all the while was gathering all soft fabrics in the cave while the prince just stood awkwardly around, shifting and decidedly not looking at them.

"Is it us?", asked Keith with gritted teeth.

"W—What?", asked Lance startled and confused.

"Are we making you uncomfortable? Did you run away because your guards make you uncomfortable?", clarified Keith, concentrating on the fire. "We literally came to save you and you act like we're annoying you with that. You ran away. You're the prince. What... What reason did you have to run away? If it is us, then we can... ask for a transfer. Hunk and Matt can be your new guards, you won't have to deal with us if that's it."

"...Why would you... What?", asked Lance confused and stunned.

"Keith", growled Shiro sharply in warning.

"No", grunted Keith, glaring at Shiro in defiance while gesturing at the prince. "What do you think why he ran away, huh? Why he's so stubborn about not needing us! Because he doesn't want us here, Shiro. Remember the last princess we saved? She practically threw herself at you!"

"What? So you'd rather I'd throw myself at you?", snorted Lance cynically.

Keith blinked confused. "Well, yes, isn't that the problem?"

"...What?", asked Lance blankly.

"My prince...", started Shiro, voice wavering a little. "Maybe we should eat something."

Both Keith and Lance stared at him dumbly for a couple of moments for just how subtle his topic change had been. Still, they complied. Keith got the provisions out they had taken along and the three of them gathered around the fire, sharing bread, water and cheese in awkward silence.

"I prepared a sleeping space for us", offered Shiro as they finished their meal. "It's... going to be a cold night. It would be best for us to share heat during the night."

"H—Heat?", sputtered Lance red-cheeks.

"Yes. Body-heat", grunted Keith and rolled his eyes. "Because if you freeze to death during our watch, the king will have our heads. Just... settle in. We'll join you in a moment."

Lance frowned at Keith. Why was Keith being so weird? Sure, he was always kind of weird, but this was a whole new level. While Lance slowly got comfortable in the soft fabrics, he watched out of the corner of his eyes how the two knights undressed. Well, they got out of their armors at least. Lance's cheeks flushed once more and he settled down, closing his eyes and deciding to pretend he was already asleep. Maybe they could just not have any more awkward conversations.

"Why is he so... so... him?", muttered Keith frustrated as the two knights sat down next to the supposedly sleeping prince. "He's been so awkward around us for weeks now. I thought if we'd save him, we'd get back onto his good side, or something. I thought..."

"You did think he'd throw himself at you", snorted Shiro fondly, gently brushing Lance's hair out of the prince's face. "Honestly, even I was expecting it a bit. Maybe you are right. Maybe we should assign Hunk and Matt to be his guards. Clearly, we have been overstepping and making him too uncomfortable around us. He never used to react these ways around us. He used to be happy to see us. Now he was so... frustrated. Perhaps you and I have done a bad job at hiding our feelings for him. Perhaps it is time to step back. Even though you and I both want to stay the ones protecting him. But we know we can trust Matt and Hunk with our prince."

"But he's our prince, Shiro", hissed Keith angrily. "Ours!"

Lance frowned confused. Theirs? Not just their prince? They were hiding their feelings? For him? He had no idea what that whole conversation even meant. Frown morphing into a glare, he sat up suddenly, startling both knights. He blinked as he looked from one to the other.

"What feelings?", asked Lance sharply, still looking from one to the other.

"...Did you seriously fake sleeping?", asked Keith stunned.

"What feelings?", repeated Lance again, still staring at them intensely.

"My prince", started Shiro, looking down at his hands shamefully. "I know it is highly inappropriate and it was not our place to look at you that way, yet over the past months of being assigned your personal guards, we... We have developed desires for you that go far beyond what a knight should feel for their prince. And if our feelings for you made you uncomfortable-"

"Are you... serious?", interrupted Lance stunned, staring doe-eyed from one to the other. "B—But you two have each other. You don't need a spoiled brat."

"You're not a spoiled brat. You're a prince who plays with the villagers' children in the apple orchids and who milked a cow himself to bring his sick sister a glass of warm milk when the cook was feeling unwell himself. You're the prince who helped his sister hide her weird pet-mice from the governess when you were children. You're kind and caring and sweet and beautiful", listed Keith, sounding utterly frustrated. "We do. We don't just want you, we do need you."

Lance blinked slowly as he stared at the normally emotionally constipated knight with wide eyes. Keith didn't say stuff like that. Keith would never say stuff like that without meaning them. That meant that Keith liked Lance and also that Shiro liked Lance. Lance returned to looking wide-eyed from one knight to the other. His knights... liked him. He couldn't help but start laughing.

"T—This is ridiculous", gasped Lance breathlessly. "I—I ran away because you hid your feelings so well! I ran away because I was having feelings for you a—and thought... thought that you two were together and happy and I was... unnecessary. I wanted some distance, to get... over this."

"...Really?", asked Keith stunned. "But..."

Lance, calmed down now, slowly licked his lips and ducked his head. "I... really like you two a lot and seeing the two of you kiss behind the barn always makes me feel... jealous. Excluded. And that's stupid and selfish, so I thought it was best to... get away for at least a little while."

"Can... I be bold, my prince?", asked Shiro, holding his breath.

"Su—ure", nodded Lance, eagerly watching Shiro.

Shiro grasped him by the neck and pulled him into a brief kiss. "May I propose that you... and I and Keith... that we... share this love. Together. Behind the barn and in your chambers."

"Uhu. Yeah. That... That sounds awesome", nodded Lance lamely, too stunned for more words.

Keith grunted in agreement and pulled Lance down into a kiss of their own. The prince was shuddering in Keith's arms and Keith knew it wasn't just his kissing skills. As they parted, Keith safely tucked Lance between himself and Shiro for warmth and together, they settled down for the night, falling asleep curled together and happy.

~*~ The End ~*~

[theshatteredrose]

This question comes from reading your answer for what the guild thought of Rahas, about Tobyn and Jhon. I was just curious, because we know how Tobyn reacts to Jhon's many admirers trying to flirt with him (arrows. Hamza pinching his nose in frustration. Tobyn shrugging because "i have absolutely no idea how that arrow got in her arm"), but how would Jhon react to someone hitting on Tobyn? Obviously Tobyn would hate it, but how would Jhon react?

Tobyn could normally handle himself, but Jhon is there to for the more…obnoxious ones~

–

Jhon clasped the man by the shoulder with his hand, his fingers curling painfully tight into the flesh. Even over the noise of the bustling bar, there was a telling ‘creaking’ sound being emitted from the exact location of Jhon’s hand.

The man who had unwittingly gained Jhon’s ire immediately yelped before he abruptly fell silent and peered fearfully at Jhon from the corner of his eye. He didn’t dare to move. The hand on his shoulder was like that of steel. Perhaps stronger.

A polite smile that was forced and strained appeared on Jhon’s lips as he said, “Excuse me for interrupting, but my partner here is obviously uncomfortable with your atrocious manners and unwanted behaviour. So I do believe it will be in your best interest if you leave.”

Tobyn smirked rather smugly and sat back in his seat as Jhon’s eyes ominously narrowed, his hand tightening around the man’s shoulder with a sharp, telling crack that all but echoed through the bar.

“And I mean now,” he whispered dangerously, his smile taking on a truly terrifying glint.

The man wanted to do as Jhon had ordered, but instead his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted on the spot.

- Later -

Finally home from his stint at the hospital to replace an unwell medic, Lynus sighed as he placed a hand on his hip as the other idly rolled his shoulder to release the knots he required while working.

“It’s strange,” Lynus said. “But the last few nights there have been patients complaining of shoulder pain, all of which had fractures that do not fall in line with the types of bone fractures we see from injuries in the labyrinth. They’re actually a fraction worse, believe it or not. I had to deal with several tonight! And they wouldn’t tell me how they came about them. I wonder what’s going on.”

Tobyn hid a smirk behind his scarf while Jhon smiled charmingly. “Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. They just need to learn proper behaviour…”

Lynus looked confused while Axel was heard uttering a laugh in the distance, and Hamza, in a chair in the background, sighed loudly as he let his head fall back against the headrest of his chair.

“I’m too old for this…” Hamza muttered, leaving Lynus feeling more confused.

–

No matter the reason, Jhon will always be polite. Even if he’s breaking every bone in your body ^^ Ironically, Jhon is probably the most dangerous as no one really knows how angry he is until it’s too late. Far, far too late…

[collectivesubject]

charmingly-unwell answered your question: Is it true Fassy hit his gf? Who is/was her?

I’m on my rp account so forgive me but~ she filed reports about sever abuse but ended up dropping it and she’s made false claims before so~

This is so good to know, thank you very much for the info :D